Systems and methods for configuring a robot for inspecting an inspection surface are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot having a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors and a controller. The controller may include a route profile processing circuit to interpret route profile data for the inspection robot, a configuration determining circuit to determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the route profile data; and a configuration processing circuit to provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.

Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an interactive inspection map are disclosed. An example apparatus for providing an interactive inspection map of an inspection surface may include an inspection visualization circuit to provide an inspection map to a user device in response to inspection data provided by a plurality of sensors operationally coupled to an inspection robot traversing the inspection surface, wherein the inspection map corresponds to at least a portion of the inspection surface. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret a user focus value from the user device, and an action request circuit to determine an action in response to the user focus value. The inspection visualization circuit may further update the inspection map in response to the determined action.

System and methods for traversing an obstacle with an inspection robot are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot including an obstacle sensor to interrogate an inspection surface. The example may further include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by the obstacle sensor, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The example system may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.

Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.

Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an inspection map are disclosed. An apparatus for performing an inspection may include an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection data, a robot positioning circuit to interpret position data, and a processed data circuit to link the inspection data with the position data to determine position-based inspection data. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret an inspection visualization request for an inspection map and an inspection visualization circuit to determine the inspection map based on the position-based inspection data, and a provisioning circuit structured to provide the inspection map to a user device.

A movement amplifying actuation device may include two piezoelectric beams, one beam being attached at a fixed point, and a hinge connecting a first beam and a second beam between them. Each hinge may include a first flexible portion connected to the first beam, a second flexible portion connected to the second beam, a first rigid portion connecting the first and second flexible portions, a second rigid portion capable of being positioned against a fixed point, and a third flexible portion connecting the second beam to the second rigid portion at a pivot point of the second beam such that the assembly formed by the second rigid portion and the second beam forms a lever around the pivot point. The flexible and rigid portions may form a single piece.

Systems and methods for an inspection robot having replaceable sensor sled portions are disclosed. An example system may include: an inspection robot including a plurality of payloads; a plurality of arms, each of the plurality of arms pivotally mounted to one of the plurality of payloads; and a plurality of sleds, each sled mounted to one of the plurality of arms. At least one of the plurality of sleds includes an upper portion coupled to a replaceable lower portion, where the replaceable lower portion includes a portion of a delay line for a sensor of the inspection robot.

A track-wheel based device is disclosed. The track-wheel based device may include a longitudinal member substantially perpendicular to an axis of motion of the track-wheel based device. The track-wheel based device may further include a first lateral member and a second lateral member, each being substantially parallel to the axis of motion of the track-wheel based device. The longitudinal member may be coupled to the first lateral member at a first location of the first lateral member and to the second lateral member at a first location of the second lateral member. The first lateral member and the second lateral member may be configured to undergo a relative angular rotation, in response to a planar misalignment of four or more points of contact between two or more guide tracks for the track-wheel based device and the track-wheel based device.

A flexible drive manipulator according to an example embodiment may include a proximal portion, a plurality of joint portions drivably connected from an end of the proximal portion with respect to a longitudinal axis, a distal portion connected to an end of the plurality of joint portions, a pair of drive wires passing through the plurality of joint portions in parallel along the longitudinal axis, the pair of drive wires configured to drive the plurality of joint portions in a rotational direction of rotation with respect to a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a fixing wire passing through the plurality of joint portions in a shape of converging along the longitudinal axis, the fixing wire configured to adjust rigidity of the plurality of joint portions.

A hand of a robot includes: a hand main body including a palm; a plurality of fingers connected to the hand main body; a first spreader disposed inside the hand main body; a second spreader positioned between the palm and the first spreader and disposed in parallel to the first spreader; a plurality of stretching wires connected to any one of the first spreader and the second spreader, and configured to pull the fingers to cause the fingers to be stretched; a plurality of bending wires connected the other one of the first spreader and the second spreader, and configured to pull the fingers to cause the fingers to be bent; a driving mechanism configured to rotate and/or shift the first spreader and the second spreader; and a rotation detection sensor provided on at least one of the first spreader or the second spreader.